2001 Pepsi 400
# 2001 Pepsi 400

This is about the Summer 2001 race at Daytona. For the race at Michigan, see 2001 Pepsi 400 Presented by Meijer.

The 2001 Pepsi 400 was a NASCAR Winston Cup Series stock car race held on July 7, 2001, at Daytona International Speedway in Daytona Beach, Florida as the 17th of the 2001 NASCAR Winston Cup Series season. It was the first race held at Daytona since the 2001 Daytona 500, in which Dale Earnhardt was killed on the final lap. Sterling Marlin of Chip Ganassi Racing won the pole position. Dale Earnhardt Jr. of Dale Earnhardt, Inc. won the race, while DEI teammate Michael Waltrip and Elliott Sadler finished second and third, respectively.

## Entry List

(R) denotes rookie driver

| No. | Driver | Team | Manufacturer |
| - | - | - | - |
| 01 | Jason Leffler (R) | Chip Ganassi Racing with Felix Sabates | Dodge |
| 1 | Steve Park | Dale Earnhardt Inc. | Chevrolet |
| 2 | Rusty Wallace | Penske Racing | Ford |
| 4 | Kevin Lepage | Morgan-McClure Motorsports | Chevrolet |
| 5 | Terry Labonte | Hendrick Motorsports | Chevrolet |
| 6 | Mark Martin | Roush Racing | Ford |
| 7 | Mike Wallace | Ultra Motorsports | Ford |
| 8 | Dale Earnhardt Jr. | Dale Earnhardt Inc. | Chevrolet |
| 9 | Bill Elliott | Evernham Motorsports | Dodge |
| 10 | Johnny Benson | MBV Motorsports | Pontiac |
| 11 | Brett Bodine | Brett Bodine Racing | Ford |
| 12 | Jeremy Mayfield | Penske Racing | Ford |
| 14 | Ron Hornaday Jr. (R) | A. J. Foyt Racing | Pontiac |
| 15 | Michael Waltrip | Dale Earnhardt Inc. | Chevrolet |
| 17 | Matt Kenseth | Roush Racing | Ford |
| 18 | Bobby Labonte | Joe Gibbs Racing | Pontiac |
| 19 | Casey Atwood (R) | Evernham Motorsports | Dodge |
| 20 | Tony Stewart | Joe Gibbs Racing | Pontiac |
| 21 | Elliott Sadler | Wood Brothers Racing | Ford |
| 22 | Ward Burton | Bill Davis Racing | Dodge |
| 24 | Jeff Gordon | Hendrick Motorsports | Chevrolet |
| 25 | Jerry Nadeau | Hendrick Motorsports | Chevrolet |
| 26 | Jimmy Spencer | Haas-Carter Motorsports | Ford |
| 27 | Mike Bliss | Eel River Racing | Pontiac |
| 28 | Ricky Rudd | Robert Yates Racing | Ford |
| 29 | Kevin Harvick (R) | Richard Childress Racing | Chevrolet |
| 31 | Mike Skinner | Richard Childress Racing | Chevrolet |
| 32 | Ricky Craven | PPI Motorsports | Ford |
| 33 | Joe Nemechek | Andy Petree Racing | Chevrolet |
| 36 | Ken Schrader | MBV Motorsports | Pontiac |
| 40 | Sterling Marlin | Chip Ganassi Racing with Felix Sabates | Dodge |
| 43 | John Andretti | Petty Enterprises | Dodge |
| 44 | Buckshot Jones | Petty Enterprises | Dodge |
| 45 | Kyle Petty | Petty Enterprises | Dodge |
| 49 | Andy Hillenburg | BAM Racing | Pontiac |
| 50 | Rick Mast | Midwest Transit Racing | Chevrolet |
| 51 | Jeff Purvis | Phoenix Racing | Ford |
| 55 | Bobby Hamilton | Andy Petree Racing | Chevrolet |
| 66 | Todd Bodine | Haas-Carter Motorsports | Ford |
| 71 | Dave Marcis | Marcis Auto Racing | Chevrolet |
| 77 | Robert Pressley | Jasper Motorsports | Ford |
| 88 | Dale Jarrett | Robert Yates Racing | Ford |
| 90 | Hut Stricklin | Donlavey Racing | Ford |
| 92 | Stacy Compton | Melling Racing | Dodge |
| 93 | Dave Blaney | Bill Davis Racing | Dodge |
| 96 | Andy Houston (R) | PPI Motorsports | Ford |
| 97 | Kurt Busch (R) | Roush Racing | Ford |
| 99 | Jeff Burton | Roush Racing | Ford |

## Qualifying

Qualifying was scheduled for July 5, but was rained out; rain also delayed the start of qualifying the next day. On the ten-year anniversary of his first career pole position, Sterling Marlin clinched the pole with a lap speed of 183.778 miles per hour (295.762 km/h). Dodge drivers claimed the first four spots, with Ward Burton (183.597 mph (295.471 km/h)), Stacy Compton (182.678 mph (293.992 km/h)) and Casey Atwood (182.597 mph (293.861 km/h)). Chevrolet driver and Cup points leader Jeff Gordon qualified fifth at 182.312 mph (293.403 km/h). Buckshot Jones, Ron Hornaday Jr., Hut Stricklin, Mike Bliss and Andy Hillenburg failed to qualify.

## Race

The Rev. Hal Marchman gave the traditional invocation, Edwin McCain sang the National Anthem, and Pop singer Britney Spears gave the command to start the engines. Ward Burton took the lead from Sterling Marlin on lap one, but relinquished it to Marlin on lap three. After Kevin Harvick, Marlin and Michael Waltrip shared the lead from laps 10 to 26, Dale Earnhardt Jr. took the lead on lap 27, leading 22 laps. Matt Kenseth and Todd Bodine would lead for a combined seven laps, before Earnhardt reclaimed the lead and led 33 more laps. The first caution of the race flew on lap 89, when Andy Houston crashed in turn 4. Robert Pressley took the lead on lap 90, which Earnhardt reclaimed the following lap. With 18 laps to go, cars entered pit road for final stops, but ten cars (Mike Skinner, Pressley, Sterling Marlin, Jeff Gordon, Kurt Busch, Terry Labonte, Bobby Hamilton, Kevin Harvick, John Andretti, Mark Martin, Dave Marcis, Jason Leffler) were involved in a crash in turn 4. Earnhardt would surrender the lead again to Johnny Benson Jr., who had made a late-race gamble to pull ahead. Dale Jr had to deal with lap traffic on the restart, but the Caution flew for the final time when Jeff Gordon's oil line cut. The race restarted with six laps to go with Johnny Benson still leading. But with five laps remaining, Earnhardt took back the lead, and with drafting assistance from Waltrip, claimed the victory. Elliott Sadler, Ward Burton and Bobby Labonte finished in the top five. Tony Stewart crossed the line in sixth, but officially classified in 26th, had his finishing spot taken by Jerry Nadeau; Rusty Wallace, Jeff Burton, Brett Bodine and Mike Wallace rounded out the top ten.

## Post-race

To celebrate, Earnhardt climbed onto his car's roof, and shared an embrace with Waltrip (who had been unable to celebrate his victory in the 500 that February because of Dale Earnhardt's fatal crash) before diving into his pit crew.

After the race, Tony Stewart, who ignored orders to return to pit road due to passing Dave Blaney below the track's yellow line, knocked a tape recorder away from a Winston-Salem Journal reporter and kicked it under a hauler, and attempted to confront Cup director Gary Nelson, but was restrained by owner Joe Gibbs and crew chief Greg Zipadelli. Stewart argued that he had been forced below the yellow line by Johnny Benson, Bobby Labonte and Jeremy Mayfield. Stewart was later fined $10,000, had his probation (dating back to spinning out Jeff Gordon at Bristol Motor Speedway) extended and was penalized 65 points.

## Race Results

| Pos. | Car # | Driver | Make | Team |
| - | - | - | - | - |
| 1 | 8 | Dale Earnhardt Jr. | Chevrolet | Dale Earnhardt Inc. |
| 2 | 15 | Michael Waltrip | Chevrolet | Dale Earnhardt Inc. |
| 3 | 21 | Elliott Sadler | Ford | Wood Brothers Racing |
| 4 | 22 | Ward Burton | Dodge | Bill Davis Racing |
| 5 | 18 | Bobby Labonte | Pontiac | Joe Gibbs Racing |
| 6 | 25 | Jerry Nadeau | Chevrolet | Hendrick Motorsports |
| 7 | 2 | Rusty Wallace | Ford | Penske Racing |
| 8 | 99 | Jeff Burton | Ford | Roush Racing |
| 9 | 11 | Brett Bodine | Ford | Brett Bodine Racing |
| 10 | 7 | Mike Wallace | Ford | Ultra Motorsports |
| 11 | 88 | Dale Jarrett | Ford | Robert Yates Racing |
| 12 | 66 | Todd Bodine | Ford | Haas-Carter Motorsports |
| 13 | 10 | Johnny Benson | Pontiac | MBV Motorsports |
| 14 | 28 | Ricky Rudd | Ford | Robert Yates Racing |
| 15 | 36 | Ken Schrader | Pontiac | MBV Motorsports |
| 16 | 17 | Matt Kenseth | Ford | Roush Racing |
| 17 | 12 | Jeremy Mayfield | Ford | Penske Racing |
| 18 | 6 | Mark Martin | Ford | Roush Racing |
| 19 | 26 | Jimmy Spencer | Ford | Haas-Carter Motorsports |
| 20 | 1 | Steve Park | Chevrolet | Dale Earnhardt Inc. |
| 21 | 93 | Dave Blaney | Dodge | Bill Davis Racing |
| 22 | 43 | John Andretti | Dodge | Petty Enterprises |
| 23 | 77 | Robert Pressley | Ford | Jasper Motorsports |
| 24 | 01 | Jason Leffler (R) | Dodge | Chip Ganassi Racing with Felix Sabates |
| 25 | 29 | Kevin Harvick (R) | Chevrolet | Richard Childress Racing |
| 26 | 20 | Tony Stewart | Pontiac | Joe Gibbs Racing |
| 27 | 33 | Joe Nemechek | Chevrolet | Andy Petree Racing |
| 28 | 19 | Casey Atwood (R) | Dodge | Evernham Motorsports |
| 29 | 45 | Kyle Petty | Dodge | Petty Enterprises |
| 30 | 97 | Kurt Busch (R) | Ford | Roush Racing |
| 31 | 4 | Kevin Lepage | Chevrolet | Morgan-McClure Motorsports |
| 32 | 92 | Stacy Compton | Dodge | Melling Racing |
| 33 | 32 | Ricky Craven | Ford | PPI Motorsports |
| 34 | 50 | Rick Mast | Chevrolet | Midwest Transit Racing |
| 35 | 9 | Bill Elliott | Dodge | Evernham Motorsports |
| 36 | 71 | Dave Marcis | Chevrolet | Marcis Auto Racing |
| 37 | 24 | Jeff Gordon | Chevrolet | Hendrick Motorsports |
| 38 | 55 | Bobby Hamilton | Chevrolet | Andy Petree Racing |
| 39 | 40 | Sterling Marlin | Chevrolet | Chip Ganassi Racing with Felix Sabates |
| 40 | 5 | Terry Labonte | Chevrolet | Hendrick Motorsports |
| 41 | 31 | Mike Skinner | Chevrolet | Richard Childress Racing |
| 42 | 51 | Jeff Purvis | Ford | Phoenix Racing |
| 43 | 96 | Andy Houston (R) | Ford | PPI Motorsports |

### Failed to Qualify

* 44 - Buckshot Jones
* 14 - Ron Hornaday Jr. (R)
* 90 - Hut Stricklin
* 27 - Mike Bliss
* 49 - Andy Hillenburg

## Standings after the race

| Pos | Driver | Points |
| - | - | - |
| 1 | Jeff Gordon | 2403 |
| 2 | Dale Jarrett | 2355 |
| 3 | Ricky Rudd | 2327 |
| 4 | Tony Stewart | 2207 |
| 5 | Rusty Wallace | 2184 |
| 6 | Sterling Marlin | 2159 |
| 7 | Bobby Labonte | 2061 |
| 8 | Johnny Benson Jr. | 2051 |
| 9 | Dale Earnhardt Jr. | 2010 |
| 10 | Kevin Harvick | 1987 |

## Broadcasting

The 2001 Pepsi 400 was broadcast by NBC, as the first race broadcast by the network under a new centralized NASCAR contract which gave a consortium of NBC Sports and Turner Sports rights to broadcast the second half of the season.

25 million viewers watched the race, setting a viewership record for night races.

